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Mini as a brand is altering its design philosophy starting with the Aceman Electric Concept
What does the Mini brand remind you of? Mr Bean’s cult 1977 green Mini being fabulously silly, or the uber cool JCW Coopers which are extremely fun to drive, or custom jobs shoved with Hayabusa engines to go challenge V8 Mustangs. But this image is fading away, and we can give you ten reasons for that including its design problems, its perceived image, and ironically its increasing size.
The Germans and the British are not happy with this, and they want to completely overhaul the Mini’s appeal along with the electrification strategy. They have unveiled the Aceman Crossover EV Concept which will carry the baton for the future of Mini as an icon. Purely electric with a new two-box design with shorter overhangs to make more room inside for its occupants, the Aceman is a true crossover. In all honesty, it will be a gargantuan task to attract Americans off SUVs. However, Minis always carry a lot of character which is charming enough to dismount you from your high SUV-horse.
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No denying it is strikingly beautiful to look at. The simplicity of the compact body is a testament to six decades of design philosophy where minimalism has been a centerpiece. Mini Aceman Crossover Concept EV Designers have gone to great lengths to minimize the complications of its body line reminiscent of recent Mini models. The electrification of its power plant allows them to minimize its gaping air intakes to cool its various engine components and reverse the design polarity harking toward its heritage.
The concept is 4.05m long, 1.99m wide, and 1.59m tall, making it shorter and wider than the Countryman. The funkier color palette makes it look even smaller, which is kinda the point of the entire exercise. Those oblong details, the door handles, exterior mirrors, rear bumpers, and the lower door section are magnificent. The rear, in particular, is way too simple and could’ve been edgier, to be honest. But the 20-inch lightweight alloy wheels surely project a powerful image. Not so sure about that very detailed roof rack though. We know it is a crossover, but you’re not going to drive around your Mini with that roof rack, are you?
The interior design of the Aceman Concept EV is stark opposite to what the current generation of Mini has. Everything complicated about the Mini interior has been simplified, literally down to the bare essentials. It even has soft knitted textile surfaces which will supposedly give it a homely environment, good luck keeping that clean. Now do not be alarmed that bare essentials mean the features list has been trimmed down as well. It has a large OLED display as a centerpiece which holds all necessary functions thus allowing engineers to do away with physical buttons. This OLED screen has the latest Mini Operating System built on an Android Open Source Project (AOSP) which means the application pack will be expansive with the ability to add new features. The lovely toggles have been redesigned for critical functions, like the parking brake, drive selector, Experience Modes, and audio controls.
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Customization is a great tool for self-expression, and the new software setup in the Mini Aceman Concept allows a wide array of possibilities. For example, in the personal mode, you can transfer an image to the OLED display while complementing it with projections of clouds, or waves, or a pool if you fancy, and a matching soundtrack. Yes, this means you can be more creative with your display and sound system while you drive. They’ve even made charging interesting with the Vivid mode. There are ‘Aceman’ letter bubbles that can be moved across the dashboard as fluid graphics. This beautiful artwork with colors is also carried in the headlamps of the Aceman. Your approach towards the car is tracked by a cloud of light that gets brighter as you get closer, and the grille LED matrix of the right headlamps winks at you. The coolness and the cuteness have no end on this thing.
This radical new shift in the design theory of the next generation of Minis could be the missing link required to woo American buyers who like to make a style statement. The specs aren’t out yet, but the Aceman will likely have a 181hp electric motor with a sub-250 mile range. Hopefully, this range figure will get improved, jeez. But we’re on board with Mini on the new design philosophy. It's funky, customizable, and a lot more likable than the performance-oriented Coopers of recent times. Yes, you could buy an SUV instead of the Aceman, but you will never get over this winking kaleidoscope of coolness which is a technological spaceship under the skin. The Aceman will be making its first official outing at Gamescom slated for August 2022 to be held in Cologne. It’ll be a great unveil surrounded by retro games and funky cosplay.
Sarcastic, cynical and sometimes just comical, Abhijeet writes to titillate the reader's curiosity. He wants to make sure any vehicle you own swings between everyday practicality and dogmatic individualism. We're certain his pragmatism and humour will keep you engaged and informed about the past, present and future of the magnificent words of automobiles.